Connections
SUMMER 2019
Contents 3-4
Forming Community A Prime Time for Seniors
5-6
Transforming Lives Bow Ties Abound as We Bid Drew Adieu
7-8
Reforming our World An Eggs-iting Day! - Annual Egg Hunt
9 - 10
ALL AGES ACTIVITIES
Edited By: Brooke Sahlstrom Photos By: Brooke Sahlstrom & Christi Nixon Articles By: Pastor Neil Trainor
-03
A PrimeTime for Seniors PRIMETIME is a ministry of seniors, for seniors, providing opportunities for developing and deepening relationships with others. Gathering most months for a luncheon catered by the Shorewood High School Culinary Arts Program, the crowd enjoys conversation around the tables and a variety of entertainment. Recent months have included performances by Monday Night Live, a folk music group featuring Calvin’s own Sande Gillette and Alan Roberts, and by Rev. Ray Riese along with his good friends Doug and Helen Miller. Special thanks to Karen Claus, Jean Johnson, and their whole crew who set up and serve each month. Be sure to join the fun in the fall when the PRIMETIME activities resume.
Monday Night Live play folk and contra dance music
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Food & conversation are both a hit at PRIMETIME lunches Kaye Ostgard at the Fall Fashion Show
‘PrimeTime is making time to gather with friends for fellowship & delicious food.’ -Jean Johnson
Rev. Ray Riese plays at his final concert
-05
Bow Ties Abound as we Bid Drew Adieu On May 22, we held a special dinner and call and gifts for ministry, and are excited for him celebration in honor of Drew Hogan, who had to move into this next season of life. served as our Youth and Family Ministry Associate Drew came to Calvin Church when we were in since August 2016. To honor Drew, many wore his a season of change. We were moving away famous fashion accessory: the bow tie! from our older programmatic ministries for When Drew joined our staff, we knew that he youth to a newer and more holistic approach was sensing a call from to ministering with whole “It has been a joy God to serve in pastoral families, including the ministry, and that he development of Milestones to help the youth desired to attend a and a core value of being an seminary to continue his explore and wrestle intergenerational church. education and preparation Drew embraced that, and with their faith, for serving in a church he led us both in creating position full-time. Over and help them find our new Identity and time, he found clarity Commissioning Milestones, fruitful community and conviction that he is and in deepening the to seek ordination within in a safe place that relationship connections the United Methodist we have with the youth in Church, the denomination honors God.� our church family. of his childhood, and God -Drew Last summer, Drew also opened the door for him to took on the role of Young serve full-time in a local Adult Ministry Director, Methodist congregation in a position almost building discipling relationships with those who tailor-made for utilizing his passions and talents are post-high school through 30-years-old. We are for both youth ministry and web design. While we a healthier and stronger congregation because of were sad to see Drew go, we readily affirm his Drew’s work among us.
-06
It’s Been A Joy
Putting the pedal to the metal racing Go Karts!
In a letter, Drew shared: “It has been a joy to live into the mission and call of Calvin to form community, transform lives, and reform the world. It has been a joy to help the youth explore and wrestle with their faith, and help them find fruitful community in a safe place that honors God.” Our youth advisors are committed to making sure this continues for our students during this time of transition. Special thanks to Mike Bowerman, Kory Dean, Katy Korpi, Lois Olden, Arden Snyder, Polly Terman, and Hank Weaver. We would appreciate your prayers for them as well as for our Session as we take up the task of searching for the person God will next call to serve as our Youth and Family Ministries Associate.
Drew and his crew prepare care packages for college students before their final exams
-07
An Eggs-iting Day!
“If your church disappeared tomorrow, would anybody in the community notice?” It’s a convicting question church leaders are sometimes asked. It can be a self-diagnostic to help us be honest about whether we genuinely care about our neighbors or if we are just focusing on ourselves.
Calvin Church talks a lot about Forming Community and that must always include extending gracious hospitality to people in our actual community. So, we regularly use our building to build friendships with our neighbors. We do this with our annual Community Block Party and Trunk-or-Treat. More recently, we hosted our 19th Easter Egg Hunt at Hillwood Park.
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The egg puns were flying fast and furious as dozens of volunteers set up the big event the day before Easter. In recent years, Steve and Michaela Malone have given countless hours and lots of love to organizing the complex operation of arranging for a tent, putting up the sound system, ensuring coffee and treats are available, and marking out the zones for different age groups. With the Malones out of town this year, many others stepped up to lead different parts of the event, including Barry Baker, Josh Logan, Roberta Gow, Ruth Van Dyke, John Claus, and more. Thank you to all who made this year’s Egg Hunt one of the best ever.
As people arrived, I got to welcome them and explain where to go and what to do. The kids with their baskets were bouncing with excitement. My own excitement grew as time after time I asked people if it was their first time coming. “Yes!” was the regular reply. They had seen the sign, or heard about it from a friend, or found an online event listing on Facebook, Google, or NextDoor. I’d estimate that about 4 out of 5 families had never been to our Easter Egg Hunt before. But they were thrilled to find us. And I was thrilled that we were not only providing a safe and fun event for our community’s families, we were also making connections with people we will continue to get to know and serve in the future.
Serving Christ with you, Pastor Neil Trainer
An Eggs-iting Day!
Feel free to color this, snap a photo and share on social media, or give to Pastor Emily for us to display. We’d love to see your creations! Check out the pews for more coloring sheets to decorate during worship services!
-010
Can You Find Them All? There are 30 books of the Bible in this paragraph. Can you find them? This is a most remarkable puzzle. It was found by a gentleman in an airplane seat pocket, on a flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, keeping him occupied for hours. He enjoyed it so much, he passed it on to some friends. One friend from Illinois worked on this while fishing from his john boat. Another friend studied it while playing his banjo. Elaine Taylor, a columnist friend, was so intrigued by it she mentioned it in her weekly newspaper column. Another friend judges the job of solving this puzzle so involving, she brews a cup of tea to help her nerves. There will be some names that are really easy to spot. That’s a fact. Some people, however, will soon find themselves in a jam, especially since the book names are not necessarily capitalized. Truthfully, from answers we get, we are forced to admit it usually takes a minister or a scholar to see some of them at the worst. Research has shown that something in our genes is responsible for the difficulty we have in seeing the books in this paragraph. During a recent fund raising event, which featured this puzzle, the Alpha Delta Phi lemonade booth set a new record. The local paper, The Chronicle, surveyed over 200 patrons who reported that this puzzle was one bf the most difficult they had ever seen. As Daniel Humana humbly puts it, “The books are all right here in plain view hidden from sight.” Those able to find all of them will hear great lamentations from those who have to be shown. One revelation that may help is that books like Timothy and Samuel may occur without their numbers. Also, keep in mind, that punctuation and spaces in the middle are normal. A chipper attitude will help you compete really well against those who claim to know the answers. Remember, there is no need for a mad exodus; there really are 30 books of the Bible lurking somewhere in this paragraph waiting to be found. God Bless.
First 10 people who find all 30 books of the Bible & return this to the front office will receive a delicious summer treat!
COMING UP... JUNE 29 - 10 am
4th Quarter Forum Getting Your Ducks in a Row Financially
JULY 4
EARLY BIRD RATES DEADLINE Undercurrents: Church-Wide Retreat August 30 - September 2
JULY 7-12 Youth Mission Trip to Portland, OR Continue to pray for our youth!
JULY 13 - 4 pm Friendship Dinner at the Malone's house ALL Families welcome for fellowship & BBQ
